Going places : Victor Hugo Green and his glorious book
(Book)

Victor Hugo Green "not only believed in facing a problem but also in doing something about it." In descriptive text--occasionally featuring alliteration and rhyme--and an upbeat voice, Bolden recalls the Black mail carrier from Harlem who recognized that, following the Great Depression, highways were being built, and Black Americans were going places. But with Jim Crow laws and sundown towns, travel wasn't always safe. After gathering information about businesses that welcomed Black travelers, Bolden explains, the Harlem mail carrier assembled his tips in a guide published as the Green Book. The informational picture book continues with a brief history of Victor Hugo Green and his travel guide, which ceased being published after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. An early quote by a hopeful Green expresses his foresight for a time when his guide is no longer needed. Velasquez lends a fitting and beautiful scrapbook effect to the story through a juxtaposed blend of vintage scenes in his signature lush oil paints and recreations of black-and-white photographs, color postcards, newspaper clippings, and images from the original editions of the Green Book. Back matter, including a time line and more information about Green, fills in details about the innovator's life. An effective way to address Jim Crow laws and segregation as well as resourcefulness and determination.

Bolden recounts the moving story of mail carrier Victor Hugo Green (1892--1960), originator of the Green Book--a guide used by Black travelers to navigate Jim Crow--era America, where "these travelers... could face hassles, humiliations, hardships. Even bodily harm." As infrastructure creation and vehicle affordability led to an increase in car ownership, Green--"the problem-solving type"--was determined to help Black people travel across the hostile nation. Aware of the utility of word-of-mouth recommendations, "He grabbed goo-gobs of information. He pored over newspaper ads and articles" to create the volume, which grew from a small, New York City--centered pamphlet in 1936 to a book whose wide-ranging recommendations spanned to Canada and Mexico. Working images of paper ephemera into the pages, Velasquez melds portraiture and background illustration, producing a visually engaging account of history in the making. Back matter includes notes and selected sources. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)

Victor Hugo Green (1892-1960) was a mail carrier whose work took him all across New Jersey. Though well-loved on his routes, Green knew the danger he faced as a Black man anytime he went somewhere unfamiliar. This prompted the energetic Green, who "had great get-up-and-go," to create a guide for Black people to find safe places to stop, eat, and stay when road-tripping on the nation's newly built highways and turnpikes. Called the Green Book, this handbook grew from "just a pamphlet" listing welcoming places in the New York City area in 1936, to a 1940 edition featuring amenities in large cities in every state plus Washington, DC, and standing as a useful -- and possibly life-saving -- tool for Black travelers well into the 1960s. Velasquez's scrapbook-style, painterly vignettes capture period detail and nimbly complement Bolden's conversational free-verse text ("These travelers, / whether going places with smiles / or with tears in their eyes, / could face / hassles, humiliation, hardships"). Back matter includes a timeline, source notes, and selected sources. Sam Bloom September/October 2022 p.104(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Enter the world of Victor Hugo Green and his famous Green Book for Black travelers. Green delivered mail in Leonia, New Jersey, even after moving to Harlem with his wife, Alma. During the Great Depression, new highways and turnpikes and newly inexpensive car models were driving more families to own cars. Black travelers had extra stress and danger to worry about when traveling through unfamiliar, often hostile terrain. Black-owned newspapers and word of mouth kept them informed on how to stay safe. Green "got busy problem-solving," gathering information from people and publications into one guide, the Green Book, which started in 1936 as a pamphlet covering New York City and neighboring towns and grew steadily to cover the entire nation. The story extends beyond Green's death in 1960 to end on the hopeful note of the civil rights legislation Green had hoped for, when, with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discrimination related to transportation services was outlawed. Bolden's bold, strong, conversational prose sets the scene, representing courageous, talented Black people strategizing to keep their dignity in an unfair world. With his signature painterly art, Velasquez beautifully brings to life settings, families, and communities through varied compositions and scrapbook-style pages. Text and illustrations incorporate primary source documents--maps, advertisements, excerpts from newspapers--that add to the authentic feel. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A richly layered, powerful introduction to an entrepreneur and the problems he solved. (timeline, more information on Victor Hugo Green, notes, selected sources, websites) (Picture-book biography. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Victor Hugo Green "not only believed in facing a problem but also in doing something about it." In descriptive text—occasionally featuring alliteration and rhyme—and an upbeat voice, Bolden recalls the Black mail carrier from Harlem who recognized that, following the Great Depression, highways were being built, and Black Americans were going places. But with Jim Crow laws and sundown towns, travel wasn't always safe. After gathering information about businesses that welcomed Black travelers, Bolden explains, the Harlem mail carrier assembled his tips in a guide published as the Green Book. The informational picture book continues with a brief history of Victor Hugo Green and his travel guide, which ceased being published after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. An early quote by a hopeful Green expresses his foresight for a time when his guide is no longer needed. Velasquez lends a fitting and beautiful scrapbook effect to the story through a juxtaposed blend of vintage scenes in his signature lush oil paints and recreations of black-and-white photographs, color postcards, newspaper clippings, and images from the original editions of the Green Book. Back matter, including a time line and more information about Green, fills in details about the innovator's life. An effective way to address Jim Crow laws and segregation as well as resourcefulness and determination. Grades 1-4. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Bolden recounts the moving story of mail carrier Victor Hugo Green (1892–1960), originator of the Green Book—a guide used by Black travelers to navigate Jim Crow–era America, where "these travelers... could face hassles, humiliations, hardships. Even bodily harm." As infrastructure creation and vehicle affordability led to an increase in car ownership, Green—"the problem-solving type"—was determined to help Black people travel across the hostile nation. Aware of the utility of word-of-mouth recommendations, "He grabbed goo-gobs of information. He pored over newspaper ads and articles" to create the volume, which grew from a small, New York City–centered pamphlet in 1936 to a book whose wide-ranging recommendations spanned to Canada and Mexico. Working images of paper ephemera into the pages, Velasquez melds portraiture and background illustration, producing a visually engaging account of history in the making. Back matter includes notes and selected sources. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)